The Demand #
The next time you hear a policy argument built on a real, sympathetic harm, trace the whole chain before you accept the proposed fix: the real harm, the generalization, the policy solution, and the political aim that never gets named. Real harm doesn't automatically justify the specific fix being sold alongside it.
The Work #
Name a policy argument you've recently heard built on a real, sympathetic harm:
Trace the chain:
The real harm being cited:
The generalization made from that harm:
The policy solution being proposed:
The political aim underneath that never gets named:
Does the real harm actually justify the specific fix being sold alongside it?
